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by 1987. CMB's intention is that the 180-passenger bus should
begin to enter service on a large scale even before the Eastern
Island Corridor highway is complete since our 1980 route net-
work already permits this type of bus to be operated on a wide
scale. Thus it will be seen that the operation of the ultra-
high capacity bus does not depend entirely upon the new super
highway project.
4.8 Furthermore, CMB intends to have the initial batch of about fifty 180-passenger buses in revenue-earning service by the
second half of 1982 so that the new Eastern Hong Kong Island/
Aberdeen Tunnel express bus network can be established from
inception with this large prime-mover.
5. CMB'S SUPERBUS PLAN"
5.1 As shown in para. 2.3 the present bus service along the Corridor
is 250 buses per peak hour carrying some 25,000 passengers per hour. If all of these buses were to be replaced by 180-passenger capacity buses the total capacity would be (250 x 180 ) 45,000 per hour without an increase in the number of buses on the road.
This would be adequate for the forecast number of 43,000 in
1986 and, by the addition of a further 39 buses per hour, а
total capacity of 52,000 could be provided which could be adequate to meet the predicted demand in 1991 (52,000). The practicability of running a large number of buses along a part- icular section of road is demonstrated by Shanghai Street which
currently has some 300 buses per hour.
5.2 Therefore, it is suggested that a network of bus routes,
utilising both the new Eastern Island Corridor Road and the existing King's Road/Hennessy Road/Queensway alignment and providing a range of (i) non-stop routes (which MTR could not provide) (ii) limited-stop routes and (iii) "all-stops" routes,
could meet the public transport needs of the Island Corridor in 1991 and beyond, without the assistance of either a modernised tramway, light railway or underground railway.
./12.